Gazing In the Mirror
by Once-upon-a-writer2176
Summary: Lloyd is having trouble coping with his new body and the time laps that was caused by the age potion. (After Child's Play)
1. Chapter 1

"This can't be real." Lloyd stood in front of his mirror for the hundredth time this hour. It was the night after the age potion incident and he couldn't get used to his new figure. Every time he walked in front of his mirror he expected to see a ten year old boy with a bowl hair cut and a short stature.

Now he saw a handsome young man with muscles, hair pulled over to his side going almost all the way down to his neck. He was much taller now too, before he was about 4'5 and now he looked to be 6'1.

He couldn't believe his eyes, he was so different. Would his father even recognize him the next time they met? "Lloyd?" Turning around he saw the familiar face of his uncle, shadowed by his straw hat. "You really should stop looking in that mirror." His eyes gleamed in pale light of the room.

"I know, but I cant." Lloyd hung his head, he wasn't in the mood for the lesson his uncle was no doubt going to try and teach him.

"I understand that, I would to, but maybe you should focus on something else." He put his hand on his nephew's shoulder. Lloyd looked away, he wasn't in the mood to go socialize right now. Wu nodded understanding, his nephew may now hold the physical appearance of an 18 year old, but mentally he still was nothing but a child who had much to learn.

Lloyd brushed some of his new and longer hair back behind his ear and snapped at his uncle. "Like what? Being the green ninja, having to kill my father." Scoffing Lloyd shrugged Wu's hand off his shoulder.

"No, why don't you go play video games with Kai or someone." He raised an eyebrow, it seemed Lloyd's personally hadn't been affected by the age potion either.

"You don't get it, before I had years! Years to prepare for the battle. Now, who knows?! It could only be a year, a month, maybe even a week." He leaned against the bathroom sink, tempted to look back in the mirror once again.

"You shouldn't worry about this right now." He sternly looked at his nephew.

"But uncle, it's going to happen." Wu winced sympathetically for his nephew, if only his brother and Lloyd weren't so close.

"You're right, but is it happening right now?" Lloyd shook his head, a tad annoyed. "Then don't dwell on it, dwell on the present." He tried to put his hand back on Lloyd, however, Lloyd still wouldn't except it. Wu sighed, "I am sorry for what has happened, but there is nothing I can do." Wu headed towards the door.

"I know." Lloyd's reply was soft, not intended for Wu to hear.

Wu looked back at Lloyd quickly before shutting the door and the last thing he saw was him turning around to gaze back into the mirror.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hello Lloyd." The fire ninja walked passed Lloyd, bumping into his shoulder roughly. "Well good morning to you too." He jerked his shoulder away and kept his stride down the hallway. He pressed his ear to the hard wood door of his Sensei, wanting to know if it would be a good time to enter. He heard no talking from Sensei and didn't smell the aroma of the candles Sensei burned when he mediated so he figured it was safe to come in. "Sensei?" Kai stepped over the bottom of the door, into the familiar room of his master.

"Yes Kai?" Wu turned, handing him a cup of tea from his famous blue tea set.

"Is everything ok with Lloyd? He seems brooding." Kai flashed back to his cold response from his friend that morning.

"He's just very confused at the moment Kai. With the sudden gaining of age, the final battle has own drawn itself nearer." The tea cup was lightly smoking out some steam when Wu dropped a couple sugar cubes into it. "You forget how attached Lloyd is to his father."

"I see." He closed his eyes briefly, then returned them to Sensei Wu.

"Just give him his space for now, he has a lot of things to sort out in his head." He poured another full cup from the never-ending-tea-filled-pot.

Kai nodded slightly, brushing some of his spiky hair out of his face. "Hm, ok, and Sensei, can we skip training today, we worked really hard yesterday taking care of some serpentine freaks-?"

"I said Lloyd needs space, not you." He bonked him on the head with the bō staph.

Lloyd finally felt his eyelids get heavy and his body sore from lack of sleep. Perhaps he was going to fall asleep tonight. But every time he closed his eyes he saw the same picture, he standing over his father, sword in hand posed to strike. How could he do that? His own flesh and blood. It was like every part of him was telling him to run away from being a ninja, from being destined to kill the only family he had besides his uncle.

Maybe sleep wouldn't come so easy after all. He sat up and stared into his bathroom mirror, which could be seen from his bed. It was harder than he thought, growing up, becoming mature. All of this responsibility was just dumped on him the moment he arose from the bones of the grundle. Everyone immediately expected more from him.

Lloyd craned his neck away from the mirror which he thought of just throwing away because it was becoming the only thing he talked to, granted he was talking to himself and he could do that without the mirror, but there would be less thought with the mirror gone.

Getting up from the firm bed, he made his way to the mirror. After blinking at his reflection a few times, he punched his reflection. He payed no attention to his bloody and bruised knuckles. Instead he relished in the fact that he couldn't see himself anymore. He couldn't see the green ninja, he couldn't see his father's death, he couldn't see him. He took the mirror off the wall and put it next to his trash bin. "Never again will I be caught gazing in the mirror."


End file.
